My Hourglass Veil Primer Review. Right here.

Let’s get going, because I really REALLY wanted to write this Hourglass Veil Primer review. I was so excited. You know how it is when you’ve ‘found’ something, a new product. You’ve read all the reviews online, you’ve done your research, you clap your hands together in glee after pressing the ‘Buy’ button online.

You wait for the postman to arrive, knowing the knock at the door will bring that moment closer to you. You know the one, the moment you find that holy grail product you’ve been waiting for your whole life, that will change your skin for-e-v-e-r.

Then you rip open the parcel and eye it up, look at the packaging, hold it in your hands and hope beyond hope that yes, this is the one! The product which means I won’t have to ever worry about my skin again because it will take away the shineness and a host of other problems. But………. And then there’s a big BUT…….

Well this is exactly the experience I’ve had recently.

I am talking about Hourglass Veil Primer. I had read hundreds of reviews online. I had even recommended it on my Facebook page (which you can find here) in response to a question for a new primer to try from a follower.

It’s a question nearly everyone on the planet asks themselves at some point unless they are extremely lucky and blessed with amazing skin that’s never oily. But most people aren’t. Can you get rid of oily skin, forever? Is there a magic way to stop oily skin and make it go away? A wand, a pill, something, please please please, give me the answer to “how to get rid of oily skin?”

In this article I will be offering lots of practical advice analysing why we are oily in the first place and what you can do to reduce oiliness and manage the oil that does appear on your skin better.

Let’s look at the good news first of all: it is possible to get rid of oily skin butit requires daily management.

Now the slightly harder part: it’s going to take time, dedication, some experimentation and more than likely, some money at the start, to really get the skin you want. I think you have to look at your skin as a long-term project. Set up some goals and some timelines and review the progress over a period of time. If you feel you aren’t making the progress you want, it could be you need to consider more effective action and there are steps that can be taken (more of that below).

Now let’s get going and understand oiliness a bit more to work out the best way to get rid of it.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew which was the best MAC foundation for oily skin, before you went into a store to buy it?

In this article I’m going to give you the most comprehensive and clearest possible answer I can to this question in relation to the MAC fluid foundations. (I will be reviewing MAC primer and powder options soon so stay tuned).

My aim with this site is to save you time and money and help you get the complexion you want for the amount of time you want if you have oily skin.

The Contenders

So who are the contenders? What are the six fluid foundations for sale from MAC? Here’s the list:

a) Studio Fix, b) Pro Longwear, c) Mineralize Moisture, d) Matchmaster, e) Studio Sculpt, f) Face and Body. Buy them here at MAC Cosmetics UK and for US customers it can be found at MAC Cosmetics USA where they offer FREE delivery and returns to US customers.

Back to the story – AHH! Too much choice. SIX foundations? Don’t worry! I have created a chart to help you quickly spot which fluid foundation is right for you. Below I have plotted all the MAC foundations to show you which one will stay on your skin the longest if you have very oily skin. Can you see it? It’s at the top right-hand corner of the chart and it comes out as Pro Longwear.

(Please click below to see the image below if you want to see it more clearly. It will open in a new window and be larger and easier to read that way for some).

So you might instantly think, this is the one for me. However, I’d like to double check a few things before you rush out to the store and buy this one.

When buying the best MAC foundation for oily skin, I think you have to ask yourself five questions:

I’ve been using La Roche-Posay Toleriane Soothing Protective Cream for over two months now and thought it was time to write a review on it.

Here in the UK, when winter comes, my skin always gets very dry and flaky even though it is naturally oily, especially in the T-zone. And this is despite me being in my late 30s! So I was searching for a moisturizer that is light and hydrating but not oily at all as I still have the fear or a much-dreaded break-out.

I find the flakiness on my face is at its worst after a shower or bath, my skin is super-tight, super-clean but also super-flaky. Not a good look!

Having read such good things about La Roche-Posay’s products generally for oily skin whilst doing the research for this website, I thought it was time to give their Toleriane Soothing Protective Cream moisturizer a shot.

It has been a really great buy and I have been really pleased with it. Here’s why: it is extremely light wearing on the face, it is absorbs super quickly. It also hydrates really well, so instantly all the flakiness is gone after my daily ablutions.

My previous moisturizers from the likes of Elizabeth Arden, Clinique and Estee Lauder don’t come close. They all felt heavy by comparison. This feels different and really is different.

I have had no break-outs since using La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane. I use it quite sparingly, as I know my face is going to fill up with grease naturally after a few hours post-shower/bath, but it does the trick of taking away the flakes whilst leaving my face un-greasy in between that time.

The main ingredient is water. Great, I need all I can get into my skin. The next ingredient after is cyclopentasiloxane. This is a silicone-based polymer, which means it lies on top the skin and helps make the the skin feel slippery and silky to the touch. It acts as a mild water repellant and this is what keeps my skin feeling softer and less flaky for a few hours, once I have applied it, before my natural sebum starts to replace it.

So all in all, I am happy using this on my face. It is light, it is hydrating, it doesn’t break me out and it takes away the flakes.

Finally, at around £15.00 for 40ml tube, it appears to be lasting well. I’ve had it for over two months, using it once a day and there is still plenty left.

It is also fragrance-free, which is a big plus in my view. I give it a 10/10. It is definitely worth the money and I would buy this again in the winter. La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane moisturizer gets a thumps up from me!

What is this Clarisonic cleansing brush gadget that we keep reading about? I’ve been digging around to find some answers and in the article below you’ll find information on the company, the founders, the technology and some of the reported benefits of using a Clarisonic cleansing brush.

Firstly, Clarisonic is a privately-owned business based in Washington, DC.

This was surprising to me given its success to date. I had really expected to see a big consumer giant like P&G or L’Oreal behind the Clarisonic cleansing brush. However this business just makes Clarisonic cleansing brushes.

David Giuliani, Clarisonic’s CEO was the former co-founder and CEO of the Sonicare line of toothbrushes. These toothbrushes also use a sonic brushing movement to clean. He sold Sonicare it to Philips in 2000. Aha! So Clarisonic is run by a founder who does have a track record in the consumer hygiene business.

In the same year, 2000, he set up Clarisonic.

Sonicare toothbrushes and Clarisonic cleansing brushes use the same sonic technology to get superior cleaning results.

But what is sonic technology? Sonic really means high speed micro movements. The brush head of the Clarisonic cleansing brush moves rapidly up and down in very short jumps. It jiggles all over the place at very high speed and within a very short space.

These tiny movements are enough to lift off dirt, dead skin cells and other substances left on your skin that regular cleaning wouldn’t be able to shift.

Most dentists agree that sonic toothbrushes do provide superior cleaning compared to a regular hand-held toothbrush, well this one does anyway. I think it’s probably safe to say that the claim by Clarisonic that it cleans your skin six times better, is more than likely true. I’m not sure if it’s six times better than with a flannel or with an alternative cleanser. However, I have no doubt they can provide research to back-up this claim and user reviews do reference repeatedly the amazingly clean feeling that the Clarisonic cleansing brush gives to their skin.

Now onto user reviews. And mostly these are very good. It’s rare to see someone say ‘No don’t buy this’. I’d say nine out of ten reviews I read, the user is extremely satisfied with the results.

Despite the slightly scary sounding ‘sonic’ word, which makes me think of space rockets and scientists, users repeatedly say the skin is gently massaged, it device doesn’t tug or drag on the skin. It’s very gentle.

Usage appears to depend on your skin type and what you can tolerate – so some people can use it twice a day without any drying effects or sensitivity. There are also those that say only use it once per day or sometimes once every other day as their skin becomes too sensitive.

The different models have different speeds so if you’re unsure what skin type you have, it may be best to choose a model that has more than one speed setting. I wrote an article all about which Clarisonic should I buy? a few weeks ago that cover speed settings as part of the review, so check that out if you’re still undecided about which model to buy.

And as for if you should buy one – well this is a bit like testing a mattress in a store. You just don’t really know until you’ve paid the money, got it home and slept on it for a few nights. Only then do you know if it’s the best purchase ever or….. not. The user reviews do speak for themselves and there are many many very satisfied customers. I’d go so far as to say there are many users who really do love this device and are big fans.

For all the benefits it appears to offer, it’s hard not to be tempted to cave in and just buy one! Great skin is such a wonderful thing and makes you feel so good inside. So why not!?

Acne is not forever. It may feel like it has taken over your life but when you are feeling down about fresh break-outs, try to remember that this is just a phase and it will eventually go. Most women grow out of acne by late teens. It’s true that a small percentage of women continue to get acne into later life, but it’s rarely ever as bad as in your teenage years. So whilst today it may feel like it’s never going to end, there’s a very strong chance it will end and you’ll be acne-free for most of your life.

2. Focus On Other Areas

Everyone has something beautiful about them. It may be that they have beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, beautiful nails, beautiful legs or beautiful skin in another part of their body. Remember that you can focus on what is good about your body and be grateful for having those good parts. It’s very easy to focus constantly on the negative areas but remember that there are some parts to feel good about even if your face is not one of them right now. You could even make the most of them and take the attention away from your face if you are confident enough to give this a go.

3. Your Body Is Working Well

OK, this is again is about feeling grateful for what we have already, but those break-outs are a sign that you have hormones whizzing around inside you and your body is working well. So the hormones are a little too out of control right now but in time they will settle and your skin will too. They may need a helping hand (either medically or through some skin products) but one way or another, the break-outs show your body is producing hormones and you’re all woman! My husband even laughs these days when I get a spot and says he likes the fact that I’m still ‘hormonal’ like a teenager. I think he almost sees it as a sign of virility and youth!

4. Try Not To Strive For Perfection

We are bombarded constantly by images of perfect women, perfect faces, perfect bodies, perfect hands, perfect teeth, lips, hair, the list goes on and on and on. Women feel the need to be perfect these days. We feel if we have break-outs, we feel less than this ideal and then feel down about it. But is this really real? We frequently see celebrities with break-outs, with problem skin yet we don’t think any less of them. If anything, me personally, I think they are very brave to be out there and carry on. What they are showing is that they are still worthy as a person, even with spots and they don’t expect to be treated any differently. We need to just get on with life. And so should you. Which brings me to my next point:

5. Don’t Let Break-Outs Diminish Your Self-Worth

This is linked to perfectionism. Bad acne over time can really diminish a person’s self-worth because we believe that if we are less than perfect we are somehow less of a person. But is this really fair to ourselves? Do we become less of a person if we don’t have perfect skin? Are we less valuable to our families, our friends, or acquaintances simply because our skin is bad right now? Did we suddenly find they stopped loving us? Or wanted to spend less time with us? No. Inside, you are still the same person and they know that. You must remember it too.

Think about the fact that 100 years ago, very few people had mirrors. We could not know what we looked like. We did not strive for perfection or define our value or self-worth by what we looked like, like we do now. We were simply oblivious to all of this because we didn’t know what we looked like. Remember we live in a very modern complex age where it’s good to sometimes reconnect with who you are, what you want, what you stand for and what you will tolerate. Say no to perfectionism and living by modern societies rules and free yourself up a little. It may help you feel better.

6. Things Could Always Be Worse

Oops, another ‘be grateful’ one but it is a biggie because it’s true. Things could always be worse. Sometimes we just don’t know how good we’ve got it until something happens that turns our world upside down. Be happy today with all the good things in your life and try to forget about those break-outs!

7. Most People See Past Break-Outs

Though you may find you often think of nothing else when you have acne, and feel very self-conscious about break-outs, the big news here is that most people just don’t notice them. If a person hasn’t met you before, sure, it will be something they notice of but my boyfriends when I was younger would talk about it if I brought it up, but none of them ever made me feel bad or ever wanted to talk about them. Boys, men, the males of this species, they don’t really seem that bothered by pimples. They see a whole lot else going on about a woman, but her skin doesn’t really seem to be even close to a deal-breaker. And the other good news is if someone does notice your break-outs, we usually instantly feel a memory of when we had a break-out like that and just feel empathy. Nobody enjoys having spots.

So I hope this helped in making someone feel better here. If you have ways that have helped you feel better about having acne, please feel free to share it down below in the Comments box. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you haven’t come across the Clarisonic yet – be prepared to be wowed! And if you have already got one, then I’m sure you will be breathless with wonder and happiness, as the reviews speak for themselves. This amazing new sonic cleansing device has very few negative comments. Mostly they’re all glowing, just like their users’ freshly cleaned skin.

Clarisonic

But the big question so many of us are asking who haven’t yet bought one is, “Which Clarisonic should I buy?”

So to help answer that question, I’m going to do a fairly indepth but concise review of all the features. Is this possible? Indepth AND concise? I’ll do my best.

After a quick scan of what’s available out there I have found there are five different models and going in price value from lowest to highest, these are:

Let’s first of all discard the Pro model, as this can only be bought by beauty professionals. If you’re a regular consumer like me, we have to choose from the other four models above.

Let’s start with the Mia. This is the entry level Clarisonic product which if you’re short on cash, could make the decision very easy, as this is the cheapest one on the market. It will give you everything Clarisonic promises: soft, smooth, uber clean skin at the best price. Another advantage (depending on the way you look at it) is that it is small and only has one speed setting so no decisions to make like fast medium or slow, it’s literally on or off.

Sometimes we can have too much choice in life. If you want to keep things good value and simple, this looks like the answer.

Next up is the Mia2. The only real difference I could find in this model, compared to the Mia entry-level model, is that the Mia 2 has one more speed setting. So if you have very sensitive skin and would like the brush to go slower, then you can choose ‘Low’ to give you a gentle clean, instead of the more robust ‘Normal’. I’m not sure this necessarily justifies the 20% increase in price. I mean, if you want to have a slightly lighter cleanse, just cleanse for less time? And with use, I would think you would start to know when you’re face is saying ‘enough!’ The Mia 2 includes a travel case too, unlike the entry level Mia.

If you have sensitive skin and think this looks a good idea, this is the one for you.

Now we move onto the Aria . At close to $200, I’d expect to see some really exciting extra features to justify the price increase. And the Aria doesn’t disappoint: this unit is larger overall, it has three speed settings: Low, Normal and Fast and it can be charged for 30 minutes of use, instead of just 20 minutes, like its smaller rivals. It also has a drying stand and a USB charger which allows charging from a laptop or computer.

So if you have a life with lots of travel (plus your laptop) and are on the go a lot but also really value your daily Clarisonic cleanse, then this is the best model for you.

Finally a look at the Plus. At over $200 we’d hope for something super exciting! The Plus has four different speed setting, Low, Normal, Fast and a special Body speed setting. Yes, this model has a special brush attachment, which is basically a larger brush for body cleansing. It is also chargeable to 30 minutes of user time and is the same size as the Aria, being a larger unit than the two Mia models.

If you think you’re going to want to cleanse areas of your body, of course the Plus looks very interesting. However as a first-time user, it’s going to be hard to know whether to spend over $200 on something you don’t know is really for you, despite all the great reviews from many happy customers. $200 is $200 after all!

For me at least, I think I’d be inclined to buy the entry Mia level model first to see if this gizmo gadget is going to give me the skin I’ve always wanted and in a few years time upgrade to the Plus, by which time, no doubt something even more exciting will be available.

The only caveat to this would be if I was travelling a lot, I might consider the USB enabled Aria as it does look so convenient.

And finally if you worry about things going wrong I should mention that the Aria and the Plus come with two year warranties, whereas the two Mia models come with a 1 year warranty.

So if your unit going wrong is something that concerns you, you may wish to consider the more expensive models to protect yourself in the event of unit failure.

Ultimately, it’s good to know whatever model you buy, you’re going to have super clean, super soft skin. Right, time to check my bank account and which Clarisonic model I can afford…

Nearly every woman on the planet has experienced oily skin at some point in her life. Men aren’t immune to periods of oiliness either. So here is a site dedicated to managing this condition, full of helpful tips, tricks and product reviews to help you make the most of your skin, be it just a tiny bit shiny or full on oil slick!

Here you can read about the causes of oily skin, what you can do to reduce oiliness, what sort of treatment options are available as well as a big section on the best products for oily skin.

The web site is broken up into easy-to-read sections, so take a look at the menu options up above or scroll down to cherry pick some of the topics that may interest you straight away.

For those of us challenged by greasiness, one of the hardest things to find is the best moisturizer for oily skin and the best foundation for oily skin, to go on top. That’s because as we already have so much natural oiliness, we don’t want to add to the natural moisturizer already there for fear or creating a break-out. On the other hand, nobody likes dry skin so how do we get a good balance? It’s a daily battle isn’t it?

Whenever I try out a new moisturizer I dread a break-out of spots appearing. Likewise when I try out a new foundation, I fear the clogging effect on my pores will also create potential break-0uts too.

To help with these big questions of what is the best moisturizer for oily skin and what is the best foundation for oily skin, there are some neat tables that you can sort through below, using the columns to sort by what you’re most interested in, be it price, coverage, user ratings and so on.

And coming soon there will also be a guide on how to cope with acne and a ‘how to’ to help you find the best solution to reduce pimples and break-outs.